Online Privacy Policy

Simmons University is strongly committed to protecting the privacy of its online users: students, faculty/staff, alumnae/i, donors, and friends. We do not collect personally identifiable information about individuals — such as their names and postal and/or email addresses — except when it is knowingly provided by such individuals. We believe that maintaining privacy on the Web is very important and we hope you will read this privacy policy carefully so that you will clearly understand both our commitment to you and your privacy and our method of collecting and using information.

This privacy policy only applies to transactions made, and data gathered, on Simmons University websites and does not apply to any other website. The terms of this privacy policy shall govern all interactions with Simmons University through either the school's website or email. A link to the privacy policy can be found on the University's home page and on every page of the University's websites. By using Simmons University websites, RSS feeds or communicating with the University by email, you agree to the terms of this privacy policy. As part of our commitment to your privacy, Simmons University supports and adheres to the guidelines and practices adopted by the Direct Marketing Association's Privacy Promise to American Consumers.

Information Provided by Visitors

Registering for Alumnet

In order to have access to certain features, such as Alumnet, you must register in Alumnet so we can verify your status as an alumnae/i of Simmons and personalize the site to better meet your needs.
If you decide to register with us online, you will be asked to provide personally identifiable information that may include a user name and password, your name, email address, postal address, telephone number, and your Student ID number. We store this information, along with your other preferences, on our secured server so that you need not reenter it when you return to the site.

Updating Your Alumnet Information

You may review, correct, update, or change your Alumnet profile information, including any personally identifiable information contained in your profile, at any time. Simply log on to your online profile, review your information, and/or edit it with the options provided.

When You Deposit Online

Simmons will ask you to provide personally identifiable information necessary to complete your deposit, that can include your name, billing and shipping postal addresses, telephone number, and credit card number. This is the same information requested when you deposit by telephone or through the mail. When you make a deposit online, your credit card information will be temporarily stored on a secured 3 rd party processing server. We will retain the personally identifiable information you provided with your order for our records, to facilitate registration, and to inform you of your status. The University may combine the information you provide with other personally identifiable information to which the University has access, such as, but not limited to catalog request data, SAT and demographic information.

When You Make a Donation Online or Register For
Alumnae/i Events

The University will ask you to provide personally identifiable information necessary to process your donation or event registration that may include your name, billing and shipping postal addresses, telephone number, email address, and credit card number. When you make a donation or register, your credit card information will be temporarily stored on a secured 3rd party server. We will retain the personally identifiable information you provided for our records and to facilitate customer service. You may also be asked for additional information required to complete and service your request, such as the names of any family members for events and co-donations.

When You Complete an Electronic Survey

The University occasionally posts surveys on its website or through email. Your participation in these surveys is on a completely voluntary and anonymous basis unless we inform you otherwise. We use the information in the responses to the survey to understand our visitors better and to determine how best to serve them. Personally identifiable information collected in our surveys is never sold, rented, or shared with third parties for their marketing purposes.

How the School Uses Information Provided by Visitors
Simmons University uses the information you provide to fulfill your online request, facilitate customer service and inform you of our programs and events.
The University never shares with third parties any personally identifiable information you provide when requesting information or making a donation online, except as required by law.

Information Collected Automatically

Cookies

Simmons University websites may automatically collect some non-personally identifiable information about you when you request pages through your browser. We place cookies on website visitors' computers to collect aggregate information for site traffic analysis, such as the number of visitors and the number of pages viewed. (Cookies are small files that reside in a visitor's browser.) The aggregate information we collect through cookies helps Simmons monitor how you and other visitors use the site, allowing us to provide an optimal experience and better service; this information is never used to identify you personally. However, the University's websites have been designed to provide nearly full functionality without the use of cookies. You can set your web browser to reject cookies, but you will lose the ability to perform certain functions, such as register in Alumnet.

Cookies for Registered Users

The University's websites may require the use of cookies to register or sign in. Cookies for registered users allow you immediate access to certain website features. Such services will state when cookies are required.

Children Under Thirteen Years of Age

We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under thirteen years of age.

Email Communications

Emails and Newsletters

Simmons University regularly sends emails and newsletters to our students, prospective students, and subscribers. Visitors may subscribe to an email newsletter when they request information online or alumnae/i may subscribe online in Alumnet. On occasion, the school may send emails to individuals such as prospective students and alumnae/i who have provided us with their email address and have opted in to receive emails, informing them of school events or classes we think might be of interest to them. Email recipients may always opt out of receiving email at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the email message.

"Email a Friend" Feature

If you use the schools "Email a Friend" feature or "Email This Event To a Friend" feature your friend's email address will not be retained on our website or used in any way by the school.

Emailing the School

The University tries to respond to email messages requiring a response within seven business days. If you email the University, your message and email address will be forwarded to the appropriate department within the school. The University may choose to save this information for future reference. However, any message, material, business information, ideas, concepts, or other information sent to Simmons University by email will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary.

Unsubscribing

If you opt to receive newsletters, other emails, or communications from Simmons University at the time you request more information about our programs, but have subsequently changed your mind, you may opt-out by using the unsubscribe link in every email or by submitting your email address. Any change in your subscription status will take up to 48 hours to take affect.

Data Security

Simmons University makes every reasonable effort to ensure that all of the transactions that occur on our website are secure. All credit card numbers submitted to the site are encrypted using "Secure Socket Layer" (SSL) encryption. SSL technology is an industry standard for protecting sensitive information as it is transmitted over the Internet.
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and administrative procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Third-Party Service Providers

Simmons University may engage reputable third-party vendors in order to help us manage our websites and allow us to better service our visitors and students. These may include third-party vendors engaged to analyze, for marketing purposes, the information collected on our website. The University requires its vendors by contract to maintain the confidentiality and security of University information to which they are provided access and restricts the vendors from using the information in any way not expressly authorized by the school.
Simmons websites may contain links to other websites such as our third-party vendors. Once you leave one of the University's websites, this privacy policy will not apply.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this privacy policy, please contact:

Changes to Privacy Policy
Simmons University may revise its privacy policy at any time. We encourage you to visit this page periodically to review our current policy so that you will always know what information we gather and how we may use that information.